Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Water Polo team dropped a pair of games Saturday during the CBU Lancer Invitational falling 18-7 to host Cal Baptist before being stunned by Redlands 7-5.
With the two losses the Poets drop to .500 at 7-7 and have now lost five of their last six.
Game 1 (Cal Baptist; L, 18-7)
Whittier opened up the invite with host Cal Baptist. The Lancers jumped out of the gates quickly winning the first quarter 4-1 with the Poets lone goal coming from Mihailo Vuja (Belgrade, Serbia).
Massimiliano Mirarchi (Rome, Italy) got the Poets going in the second converting a 5-meter that pulled Whittier within two but the Lancers would outscore WC 4-1 over the final 7:00 minutes to take an 8-3 lead at the break.
Julian Droetti (Irvine, Calif.) got a power-play goal out of the break to cut the deficit in half but again CBU would go on an ensuing 6-1 run that extended the lead to 14-5. In the fourth, CBU continued to roll with four consecutive and despite Mirarchi and Tim Aakhus (Bakersfield, Calif.) adding back-to-back goals in the final 2:00 it wouldn't be enough as Whittier would fall 18-7.
CBU outshot Whittier 36-27. WC was a mere 2-11 on power-play goals, while CBU was 3-5.
Murat Ersoz (Istanbul, Turkey) played all 32:00 and collected eight saves in the loss.
Game 2 (Redlands; L, 7-5)
In a highly anticipated match-up between the Poets and Bulldogs despite not having any SCIAC implications on the line, Whittier was unable to pull off the victory Saturday afternoon falling 7-5.
Redlands jumped out of the gates quickly winning the first eight minutes 3-1. Whittier's goal came from Mirarchi. UR added to their lead with three consecutive in the second quarter moving the score to 6-1 before Whittier's Vuja would stop the bleeding with :20 seconds to play before the half.
In the third, Mirarchi would come alive with two of his own, while Whittier held UR scoreless pulling within two at 6-4. In the fourth, it became a defensive stand with a mere two goals being scored. On the first possession of the frame, UR would get a goal that extended the lead to three. Wedge Molthen (Buena Park, Calif.) connected soon after that again pulled Whittier within two but that would be the final goal added for the game as the final 6:55 would go scoreless allowing Redlands to escape with the upset victory.
Whittier outshot Redlands 27-24. Both teams never converted on a power-play as WC went 0-8, while UR was 0-6.
Ersoz again played all 32:00 minutes picking up another eight saves and recording a steal.
Whittier returns to action next weekend as they take part in the Gary Troyer Tournament. Friday, October 7, Whittier will take on Fresno Pacific (12:45pm) and Fordham (5:45pm) before returning the next day on Saturday, October 8 to take on McKendree (9:15am) and La Verne (10:30am).
